Mentoring Effectiveness in Undergraduate Research: An Examination of Its Impacts on Minority Students? Self-Efficacy and Persistence in STEM Fields

Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

GEORGIA ALABAMA LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (GA-AL LSAMP) STEM PATHWAY AND RESEARCH ALLIANCE Non-technical paragraph The Georgia-Alabama LSAMP STEM Pathways and Research Alliance is comprised of the nine partner institutions, namely, Clark Atlanta University (Lead institution), Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Georgia State University, J.F. Drake Community and Technical College, Lawson State Community College, Morehouse College, University of West Georgia, Paine College and Spelman College. The alliance will provide transformative leadership in the education and preparation of underrepresented minority students by replicating the most successful strategies from our model institutions (Georgia State university and Spelman College) among the rest of our alliance partners. Through a combination of mentoring in undergraduate research, technology enhancement, academic advising, professional development programs, scientific presentations and new pathways for transfer from 2-year to 4-year colleges and universities, students will improve their performance and their progress towards earing BS degrees in STEM fields and will be prepared for pursuing graduate studies in these areas. This will in effect increase the number of qualified and diverse professionals available for the STEM workforce. A significant component of the program is the mentoring of students by faculty. We will assess the mentoring capacity of faculty at the 4-year institutions within the alliance and examine the impact of faculty development on mentoring competence and on students? outcomes, such as science-self efficacy, persistence, degree completion in STEM fields, and enrollment in graduate programs in these fields. Technical paragraph The Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GA-AL LSAMP) is comprised of nine partner institutions, namely, Clark Atlanta University (Lead institution/HBCU), Atlanta Metropolitan State College (community college), Georgia State University (GSU/MSI), J.F. Drake Community and Technical College (MSI) Lawson State Community College (MSI), Morehouse College (all male/HBCU), University of West Georgia, (UWG), Paine College (HBCU), and Spelman College (all female/HBCU). Through a combination of mentoring in undergraduate research, technology enhancement, academic advising, professional development programs, scientific presentations and new pathways for transfer from 2-year to 4-year colleges and universities, the alliance will increase the number of underrepresented minority science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students, in this case predominantly African Americans, who graduate with BS degrees. The alliance will work collaboratively to accomplish the following goals: 1) Progressively increase the number of minority students recruited into STEM majors by 10 % over five-years, 2) Progressively increase persistence and progression of minority STEM students in the alliance to an average of 85% over five-years, 3) Progressively increase the number of minority STEM students transferring from alliance two-year community colleges to four-year baccalaureate institutions by 10% over five- years, 4) Progressively increase the number of minority STEM baccalaureate graduates from the academic year 2016 -2017 baseline total of 629 by 10% over five years, 5) Progressively increase the number of minority STEM baccalaureate graduates who compete successfully for entry into graduate degree programs from over five-years, and 6) Conduct educational research to access the impact of mentoring in undergraduate research on GA-AL LSAMP scholars' persistence, progress and graduation as minority STEM majors. The program will in effect, increase the number of qualified and diverse professionals available for the STEM workforce This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.